MO Missouri Porch

Furbearers

Furbearers, coyotes & trapping in Missouri

A furbearer is a wild mammal hunted or trapped mostly for its fur. In Missouri that means animals like raccoon, coyote, bobcat, fox, opossum, beaver, muskrat, mink, otter, badger, and skunk — plus the invasive nutria. You can hunt them, trap them, or both.

Two quick things to know up front. Coyotes are open nearly all year. And a couple of these animals — bobcat and otter — must be tagged before they can be sold.

The year-round one

Coyote — the year-round one

You can hunt coyotes all year with no limit on how many you take. There are two catches.

  • From April 1 until the day before spring turkey season opens, you can't take coyotes in daylight.
  • From January 1 through September 30 (outside the spring turkey season), you may use artificial light, night vision, and thermal optics.

Seasons

Furbearers & trapping dates — 2026 / 2026–27

Season Dates
Coyote (hunting) Year-round (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2026)
Bobcat Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027
Fox (red & gray) Nov. 15, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027
Badger Nov. 15, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027
Raccoon, opossum, striped skunk Aug. 1 – Oct. 15, 2026 and Nov. 15, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027
Trapping (most furbearers) Nov. 15, 2026 – end of January Beaver and nutria run through March 31, 2027.

Dates change every year — confirm on MDC Seasons.

Trapping

Trapping rules

  • Traps may be set starting at 12:01 a.m. on November 15 and must be pulled by the end of the season.
  • Foothold traps need smooth or rubber jaws, and every trap must be labeled with your name and address or your Conservation Number.
  • You must check most traps every day. Killing traps and colony traps get checked at least every 48 hours.
  • You can't use dogs for the water animals — beaver, muskrat, mink, and otter.
  • Trapping on a conservation area needs a Special Use Permit, which you apply for about 30 days ahead.

Before you sell

Tagging bobcat and otter

Bobcat and otter must be registered and tagged by MDC before they can be sold, tanned, or mounted. You can't buy or sell an untagged bobcat or otter.

Permits

Furbearer & trapping permits

Permit Resident Nonresident Nonres. landowner Youth
Trapping (resident) Also covers rabbits and groundhogs. $11 — — —
Small Game Hunting Covers squirrel, rabbit, quail, pheasant, crow, frogs, and hunting furbearers. $11.50 $108.50 — —
Nonresident Furbearer Hunting & Trapping Nonresidents cannot take furbearers on a Small Game Permit — this is the permit they need. — $221.50 — —

Resident landowners get no-cost deer and turkey permits on their own land. Full list: MDC Hunting Permits.

Residents vs. nonresidents: a Small Game permit covers hunting furbearers for residents. But nonresidents need the Nonresident Furbearer Hunting & Trapping permit — NOT the Small Game permit.

Groundhog? A Small Game or Trapping permit covers it.

Before you hunt

Missouri Porch explains; the MDC decides.

Data current for the 2026 / 2026–27 season. Last checked against MDC: 2026-06-18. Dates, prices, quotas, and county rules change every year. Confirm with MDC before you hunt.

This is a plain-English summary, not the law. Always check the current MDC regulations before you hunt. As MDC puts it, the booklet is NOT a legal document and regulations are subject to revision during the year.

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